SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) by country
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all...
What the numbers show
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) is currently reported for 74 countries. The highest value is 28 in Botswana; the lowest is 0.103 in Qatar.
The median across all reporting countries is 5.43, and the mean is 6.57.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 272.
Over the past decade 18 countries rose and 52 fell. The largest increase was in Cambodia (up 196.6%), and the largest decrease in Belize (down 85.7%).
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (current ILO definition): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Botswana | 28 | 2024 | up 24.9% | rising |
| 2 | Zimbabwe | 24.46 | 2024 | up 45.1% | rising |
| 3 | Jordan | 16.81 | 2024 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 4 | Armenia | 13.4 | 2024 | down 29.4% | falling |
| 5 | Georgia | 12.92 | 2025 | down 30.1% | falling |
| 6 | Zambia | 12.89 | 2024 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 7 | Rwanda | 12.42 | 2025 | down 28.5% | falling |
| 8 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 12.2 | 2025 | — | falling |
| 9 | Angola | 11.33 | 2025 | down 40.3% | falling |
| 10 | Kosovo | 11.28 | 2024 | down 62.8% | falling |
| 11 | Spain | 10.5 | 2025 | down 52.4% | falling |
| 12 | New Caledonia | 10.15 | 2023 | down 30.4% | falling |
| 13 | Finland | 9.61 | 2025 | up 2.5% | falling |
| 14 | Chile | 8.95 | 2025 | up 35.1% | rising |
| 15 | Greece | 8.84 | 2025 | down 64.6% | falling |
| 16 | Sweden | 8.74 | 2025 | up 17.6% | rising |
| 17 | Serbia | 8.31 | 2025 | — | falling |
| 18 | Panama | 8.31 | 2025 | up 88.7% | rising |
| 19 | Bahamas | 8.17 | 2024 | down 40.8% | falling |
| 20 | France | 7.7 | 2025 | down 25.6% | falling |
| 21 | Estonia | 7.44 | 2025 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 22 | Uruguay | 7.38 | 2025 | down 16.9% | falling |
| 23 | Latvia | 6.89 | 2025 | down 30.3% | falling |
| 24 | Lithuania | 6.87 | 2025 | down 24.7% | falling |
| 25 | Canada | 6.82 | 2025 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 26 | Guyana | 6.74 | 2024 | down 52.7% | falling |
| 27 | Luxembourg | 6.48 | 2025 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 28 | Costa Rica | 6.34 | 2025 | down 24.6% | flat |
| 29 | Denmark | 6.32 | 2025 | up 0.6% | falling |
| 30 | Belgium | 6.18 | 2025 | down 27.1% | falling |
| 31 | Italy | 6.13 | 2025 | down 48.4% | falling |
| 32 | Romania | 6.11 | 2025 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 33 | Barbados | 6.03 | 2024 | down 51.0% | falling |
| 34 | Portugal | 5.86 | 2025 | down 52.8% | falling |
| 35 | Brazil | 5.83 | 2025 | down 31.7% | falling |
| 36 | Austria | 5.78 | 2025 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 37 | Mongolia | 5.45 | 2025 | down 44.8% | falling |
| 38 | Slovakia | 5.42 | 2025 | down 52.9% | falling |
| 39 | New Zealand | 5.26 | 2025 | down 2.7% | falling |
| 40 | United Kingdom | 4.9 | 2025 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 41 | Croatia | 4.85 | 2025 | down 70.0% | falling |
| 42 | Switzerland | 4.84 | 2025 | up 0.8% | falling |
| 43 | Ireland | 4.64 | 2025 | down 53.1% | falling |
| 44 | Ghana | 4.47 | 2024 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 45 | Norway | 4.46 | 2025 | up 3.7% | flat |
| 46 | Iceland | 4.43 | 2025 | up 11.4% | rising |
| 47 | Hungary | 4.42 | 2025 | down 35.2% | falling |
| 48 | Cyprus | 4.35 | 2025 | down 71.0% | falling |
| 49 | United States | 4.28 | 2025 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 50 | Australia | 4.17 | 2025 | down 31.1% | falling |
| 51 | Trinidad and Tobago | 4.01 | 2024 | up 61.7% | rising |
| 52 | Moldova | 3.95 | 2025 | down 27.6% | falling |
| 53 | Slovenia | 3.88 | 2025 | down 56.8% | falling |
| 54 | Netherlands | 3.85 | 2025 | down 44.0% | falling |
| 55 | Taiwan | 3.85 | 2020 | down 3.0% | flat |
| 56 | Germany | 3.82 | 2025 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 57 | Hong Kong | 3.65 | 2025 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 58 | Cambodia | 3.63 | 2025 | up 196.6% | volatile |
| 59 | Bulgaria | 3.52 | 2025 | down 61.5% | falling |
| 60 | El Salvador | 3.33 | 2025 | down 43.1% | falling |
| 61 | Singapore | 3.25 | 2025 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 62 | Saudi Arabia | 3.24 | 2025 | down 42.2% | falling |
| 63 | Poland | 3.05 | 2025 | — | falling |
| 64 | Malta | 3.05 | 2025 | down 43.4% | falling |
| 65 | Israel | 3 | 2025 | down 42.0% | falling |
| 66 | South Korea | 2.79 | 2025 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 67 | Czechia | 2.79 | 2025 | down 44.8% | falling |
| 68 | Macao | 2.54 | 2020 | up 49.5% | rising |
| 69 | Japan | 2.5 | 2025 | down 26.1% | falling |
| 70 | Russia | 2.13 | 2025 | down 62.0% | falling |
| 71 | Vietnam | 2.05 | 2024 | — | falling |
| 72 | Belize | 1.98 | 2025 | down 85.7% | volatile |
| 73 | United Arab Emirates | 1.74 | 2025 | up 6.6% | falling |
| 74 | Qatar | 0.103 | 2024 | down 46.6% | falling |
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.